Winter is long gone, but spring is just around the corner. On Friday, the vernal equinox arrives, marking the astronomical start of spring (and the end of winter!) in the Northern Hemisphere. Although the equinoxes may not get the same attention as the solstices, they are a great way to observe the changing of the seasons. Let’s know the vernal equinox, what it is and why it happens.
When does the vernal equinox occur?
The vernal equinox has a specific time, occurring at 10:46 am ET/7:46 am PT, on Friday, March 20.
What is the spring equinox?
You’ve no doubt noticed the increase in daylight as winter weakens, especially with the time change this past weekend. The vernal equinox marks the point of long days.
The word “equinox” comes from the Latin word for equal to night. Daylight and nighttime are approximately equal during the equinox. We experience two each year — the vernal equinox and spring the autumnal equinox in the fall. The word “vernal” comes from Latin and references spring.
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This National Weather Service graphic shows the tilt of the Earth, the way our planet revolves around the sun and when the equinoxes occur in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Earth rotates on an axis (think of it as a line from pole to pole) with a 23.5-degree tilt. Some parts of the planet receive more direct sunlight than others. That’s how we get our seasons, and how it can be summer in the Northern Hemisphere while it’s winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
The vernal equinox is when the Northern Hemisphere changes from facing away from the sun (during winter) to pointing towards the sun (during summer),” said Emily Rice, associate professor of astronomy at the Macaulay Honors College of the City University of New York. “The tilt coincides with the Earth’s rotation for a short period of time.” This is when we get roughly equal amounts of daylight and nighttime.
How are equinoxes different from solstices?
The solstices are the extremes of day and night. The summer solstice is the longest day, and the winter solstice is the shortest. In 2026, the Northern Hemisphere summer solstice occurs on June 21, and the winter solstice occurs on Dec. 21.
The solstices get more love than the equinoxes.
“Critical states are easier to mark and visualize than inflection points, which are subtle changes, so the solstices get the attention,” Rice said. They are all related to the tilt of the Earth and the sun, so think of the solstices and equinoxes as siblings that each have their own seasonal connection.
How the equinox looks like from space
It can be challenging to visualize the tilt of the Earth and what happens during the equinox from the ground, so NASA put together a video that shows the Earth as seen from a satellite.
It tracks our planet through its seasons. Watch how day and night change over time.
How to celebrate the spring equinox
Perhaps you have heard that the one day you can balance a green egg is at the end of the equinox. This myth may go along with vague discussion points about the earth’s gravity and its position and the sun.
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I balanced this egg on its end on a non-equinox day.
One of Rice’s annual works for the equinox is to debunk the myth of measuring eggs.
“Astrologers are often online telling people that no, they can’t measure the egg at its end only at the equinox,” he said. You can go ahead and try it, but make sure you check it again on a non-equinox day. I released it on Feb. 27, if you are wondering.
The equinox is a subtle thing. There are no spectacular celestial events to mark this day. Don’t let that stop you. The vernal equinox is what you make of it.
“Given that the Earth’s cycle has no beginning or end, the year can begin at any time, and the equinox means more astrologically than Jan. 1,” Rice said.
You can come up with your own way to celebrate this event. Tell your friends and co-workers that it’s the beginning of the astrological spring. Plant the seed. Clean your house. Spend time outside. Make plans for spring break. And take a moment to appreciate the sun, the tilt of the Earth and our place in space that brings us the vernal equinox.
